Friday, March 07, 2008

CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

 
 
 
 

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Sunday, August 26, 2007

New Orleans

RECEIVE FROM ME, THIS GLORIOUS VIEUX CARRE'

Receive from me, this glorious Vieux Carre'
Through the mists of fog or on a sultry, summer day

On the levee, Jackson Square or Royal Street
Musicians play their tunes, each to a different beat

Bougainvillea overflowing garden walls
Architecture of a by-gone era, calls

From the steamboat Natchez on the Mississippi
Comes the sentimental tones of the calliope

Bourbon Street with its raucous crowds
For beads and tits, they shout out loud

Clip-clopping horses pull tourists around
Upon their heads a flower crown

Fragrance of jasmine on a midnight stroll
Full moon with Venus we behold

Swinging our hips at the Famous Door
E. J.'s electrifying guitar makes us sway some more

Morro Castle glistening in its granite grandeur
Waiting to welcome him and her

The French Quarter will infatuate, mesmerize
Captivate, enchant, enthrall, tantalize

2002

Guanajuato, Mexico

Guanajuato--
Your vivid colors are off a fresco from
Your pre-Columbian past, no somber
Stone or all white edificios from your
Mother land, you come bursting forth
Like the brilliant bougainvillea in
Gorgeous hues that abounds, imploding
From your narrow river bed up the
Mountainsides, your streets are
Labyrinths inviting one to get lost
As callejones serpentine their
Way as only they know how, you may
Be bewildered, bemused or even
Mystified but around the corner is a
New scene and then around another
You find familiarity, I like to view you
From my roof terrace or from the
Universidad, take the funicular to
Pipila’s domain, the mountains are
Always present, brown, bare, with
Strange rock formations on the top,
These gave you your name, the
Tarascan Indians thought they
Resembled frogs, one of their deities,
Who was the god of wisdom so
Named this place the hill of frogs,
This town is for walking if ever there
Was one, but there’s another world
Subterraneo, with myriads of tunnels
Blasted out of the stone, another maze
To explore, you bring to mind many
Other exotic locales, the warrens of
Morocco’s imperial cities, St. Paul-de-
Vence, where the streets became flights
Of steps, Barcelona whose alleyways
Would suddenly bring one to tree-
Shaded plazas, Naples, but your colors
Are singular and unique, no somber
Gothic temples here but a riot of
Churrigueresque carvings, radiant
Baroque interiors, maybe its from your
Wine-soaked mortar that the city has*
Aged so intoxicatingly, perched upon*
No great oceans, rivers or lakes, no
Famous caravan routes, from the mines
Of gold and silver you became one
Of the wealthiest places on earth, the
Second largest city on the North
American Continent, your perpetual
Sunshine makes you stunningly devoid*
Of melancholy, you are a timeless*
Mandala as elusive as the way home*
Which I may never want to find

*The Hills Of Guanajuato by Jenny Lenore Rosenblaum

March, 1, 2007

Erice, Italy

O Erice

Ancient eyrie of Aphrodite, alight upon
Mist-shrouded ages, sanctified to Venus
From epochs unknown, fertility rites
Famed temples lost in myth, lost in legend
Aeneas came ashore beneath Eryx, to make
His funerary oblations for his father
Anchises, Hercules arrived for a reprieve
After performing one of his Twelve Labors
Stealing the cattle of Geryon, the bardic
Store of knowledge here is inexhaustible—
Cobbled lanes, steep paths, Elymian walls
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs
Normans, each conquered, plundered
Worshipped, known as Gebel, Monte
St. Giuliano, naturally fortified by
Towering cliffs, situated at the crossroads
Of the Mediterranean, on the western end
Of Sicily, in this ancient precinct, scientific
Schools abound, Ettore Majorana Institute
For International Research, from medicine
To law, from history to astronomy, from
Philology to chemistry, International
School of Nuclear Physics, fast expanding
Fields of nuclear particles, astrophysics
International School of Atomic and
Molecular Spectroscopy, International
School of Space Chemistry, I journeyed
On these fabled paths while on a my own
Summer odyssey to the islands of Italy
Never having heard of this magical place
We simply went to Trapani to catch the
Ferry to Tunis, it is discoveries like this
Treasures unknown which we uncover
That makes travel so enjoyable, so
Enriching, so worthwhile

El Gem, Tunisia

O, El Gem

O’er the undulating dunes of the Sahara
We suddenly espy a monumental structure
Rising like a crown jewel from its surroundings
A second-century amphitheater built on Carthage’s
Conquered land, after the total annihilation of
That great empire by the Roman legions, it
Became the bread basket for the Latin world

Great classical homes were built, their glory
Preserved in the unsurpassed mosaics housed
In the museum in Tunis, the Romans also
Erected structures for their entertainment,
El Gem being the second largest coliseum,
Second only to the much more well-known
Edifice in Rome,

We had arrived for a summer night’s musical
Performance within its wall, as the brilliant
Rays of the spectacular sunset set it aglow
In the shifting sands, we watched its
Transformation, oil lamps radiated from each
Of its perfect archways, we had a chance to
View the ancient Roman sculpture on the site

Before we took our seats, the program tonight
Was Baroque, The Death of St. Joseph by
Pergolesi, performed by a group from Milan,
We thought what an odd choice in a pre-
Dominantly Muslim country, we had not
Come tonight because of the selection, this was the
Only night available for us to travel to this region,
We wanted to attend an event here and we weren’t
Disappointed, what a unique experience this was

Baku, Azerbaijan

O, Baku,
Queen of the Caspian Sea, what wealth,
What money was spent, to embellish
Your buildings, your parks, your waterfront,
The palaces that were constructed, the colorful
Designs, beauty unsurpassed , an affluence
Beyond compare, prosperity seldom seen

Fount of flowing oil, gushing from the rocks,
Recovered from the sea, fortunes were made by
The Swedish family of Nobel fame, but others,
Mainly Russians, were most unfortunate, the
Workers paradise came into being, everything
Was lost, even their lives, for these Whites were

Unable to escape the wrath of the Reds, today,
Finally you’re free, your structures in old Baku
Are beautifully renovated, you are a bustling
Modern city, though totally Muslim, your women
Dress as scantily as in neighboring Christian countries,
With no covering on their hair, fortunate was I

To dine at a caravanserai, bargained for a carpet,
Samovar, went to see the Bakistan rock carvings,
Pictures from the dawn of homo sapiens, investigated
The fire temple of Atesh, fire being the impetus for
The first monotheistic religion, Zoorastrianism,
Founded in Persia, but had its true home here,

Where the eternal flame was kept continually going
By oil, black gold, from the depths of time it has
Sprung from the rocks, from this tiny speck on the map,
You were able to supply the oil needs of the vast
Soviet empire when you were forced to be part of it
Now you are a player on the world scene

I have read the poetry of Nazami from Ganca
The soul of your country he portrays
I loved wandering in the flowers, with the statue
Dedicated to him in the center of your city,
The blending of East and West surely begins here
Like Ali and Nino, a tale by Kurban Said

Cuba

O HARROWED ISLE

O harrowed isle, derelict and decaying
Your best minds forced to flee your shores
Empty are your shops, your stores
Pity the people who are suffering, staying
Will relief ever come to this enchanted isle
Where her beauty can still bewitch and beguile
Once the gorgeous gem of the Caribbean
Gateway to the New World ever shining
In radiant splendor, no thoughts of declining,
Rich and overflowing, then one single man,
Caused such a violent upheaval in the lives of all,
A ruthless, deranged, tyrannical foe,
To every thing that is decent, desirous, woe
Is what you’ve had for years, you cry and call
Out to the world which heeds you not,
Some aren’t even aware of your hapless lot,
You will be the last communist government to collapse,
Hopefully soon a change will come to all the world’s maps,
Cuban people, ever brave and vivacious, your songs
Brighten this world even in your distress,
May the future right all your wrongs,
May you live in freedom and happiness

Xochicalco, Mexico

Xochicalco

Ancient shrine lost
In the mists of time
Amidst your feathered-
Serpent temples
Your various ball courts
Where cattle graze
Upon your grasses now
I set my novel of
Betrayals, the towering Toltecs
A forgotten race
Were you a peaceful place
Like Delphi
Or Olympia, for scholars
Or athletes
To gather, forsaking war
To commune
With fellow tribes, with clans
Covering vast
Distances, were you known
For your flowers
The brilliant color of your friezes
Your bark-bound
Books which told the story
Of your people
But were burned by friars
From another place
Another time, differing religious
Beliefs, who were
Your conquerors, O, Xochicalco,
Sleep on
Unveil your secrets when the
Time is ripe
Your mysteries to people who
Can comprehend
The majesty of your endeavors
Sleep on
Till future eras have a need for
Your philosophy
Your knowledge of the universe
Your civilization
Leap from the bounds of earth
Extra-terrestrial
Were they, the time is coming
Soon,
No one can predict when you
Will again
Be in harmony with the cosmos
And the earthlings
Will benefit from your wisdom

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Guanajuato

Guanajuato is a World Heritage Site situated in the heart of Mexico. From the 1500's to the 1700's, it was the second largest town in North America--Mexico City being the first and Philadelphia was third. This was because it was the first place to have a gold and silver rush. Many beautiful buildings were built by the wealthy at this time. They are still there and make this city one of the unique places to visit in Mexico. I spent five months there this year--from January till June. I will send other posts and pics.

Monday, January 10, 2005

Traveling Is Being Alive

I have wanderlust. I will publish my travelogues, journals, travel articles and thoughts about travel here on this site.